Dental magnetic attachment

ABSTRACT

A dental attachment has been invented whose connection force and fitting between an implant and a keeper are improved. A keeper  3  has a main body  10  with a attracted face  31,  a screw part  33  that is located at the back face, a conic taper shaft  35,  and a projecting ring part  37.  The projecting ring part  37  has an inclining inner face  371  and an acute angle pointed end  375.  An implant  10  has a screw hole part  13,  a conic taper hole part  15  which has about the same inclining angle of the taper axle part  35,  and inclining end face  17.  When the keeper  3  and the implant  10  are connected, the taper shaft  35  and the taper hole part  15  are fitted closely and at the same time, the inner face  371  of the acute angle pointed end  375  and the inclining end part  17  touch and at least the acute angle pointed end  375  of the projecting ring part  37  is elastically transformed toward the diameter.

BACHGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Art

[0002] The present invention relates to a dental attachment that can be used to fix a denture to a dental implant keeper by magnetic force.

[0003] 2. Prior Art

[0004] Various dental attachments using magnetic attractive force have been proposed in dental treatments, because it is a simple method to take off and fix the denture.

[0005] For example, the dental attachment 9 shown in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Number 9-224959, as shown FIG. 6, consists of an implant 91 acting as an abutment embedded in the jawbone, a keeper 93 fixed to this implant, and a magnetic assembly 95 which has an attractive surface 950 that attracts the attracted surface 930 of the keeper 93 by magnetic attractive force

[0006] Said keeper 93 is fixed to said implant 91 by screwing screw part 931 of keeper 93 into screw hole 911 of implant 91. With this, the contact faces 912 and 932 fit together precisely and prevent alien substances from entering between implant 91 and keeper 93.

[0007] However maintenance of fixing solely by screwing the screw part 921 to screw hole 911 is not enough, and looseness may be caused during use of said dental attachment. This looseness may cause sudden deterioration of fixation and cleanliness.

[0008] Therefore the development of a dental attachment that can maintain said fixation and stability between a keeper and an implant by the way of a screw is desired.

[0009] Taking into consideration the abovementioned requirements, the present invention provides a dental attachment that can improve the fixation and stability between an implant and a keeper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention is of a dental attachment which comprises an implant embedded in jawbone, a keeper supported by said implant, and a magnetic assembly that has a attractive face that attracts an attracted face of said keeper by magnetic attractive force.

[0011] Said keeper has a main body that has said attracted face, a screw part that is located at the center of a back face which is opposite to said attracted face of said main body, a conic taper shaft at the base end of said screw part, and a projecting ring part that projects toward the shaft to make ring-shaped groove with said taper shaft at the circumference of said back face

[0012] Said projecting ring part has a slanted inner face that tapers toward a pointed end, and an acute angle pointed end that actually looks like an acute angle shape that intersects the outer face.

[0013] Said implant has a screw hole part into which said screw part of said keeper can be screwed, a conic taper hole part which extends upward from the open side of said screw hole part and has approximately the same incline angle of said taper shaft, and an inclining end face which slants upwards to the circumference of the opening of the tip of the implant.

[0014] The dental attachment has the feature such that when said keeper and said implant are screwed together, there is close contact of said screw part to said screw hole part, said taper shaft to said taper hole part, said inner face of said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part and said inclining end face of said implant, and at least said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part is elastic transformed in a radial direction. (claim 1)

[0015] The presently invented dental attachment has, as said above, said taper shaft of said keeper and an acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part, while said implant has said taper hole and said inclining end face. When a keeper is connected to an implant, as said above, said taper shaft is closely fitted to said taper hole, and at the same time, said inner face of said acute angle pointing end and said inclining end face come into contact, and at least said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part is elastic transformed in a radial direction.

[0016] In this way, the connecting force between said keeper and implant is made by both frictional force between said taper shaft and taper hole and frictional force between said acute angle pointed end and said inclining end face. In particular, the frictional force between said taper shaft and taper hole part gives a much greater connecting force preventing the loosening of the screw.

[0017] By the contact of said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part and said inclining end face, a precise fit can be made.

[0018] Even excellent parts processing in the prior art has had difficulty to achieve the accuracy of dimensions to adequately screw said taper shaft to said taper hole part and at the same time make said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part touch said inclining end face. But if said acute angle pointed end can be elastic transformed to some degree during screwing, adequate processing accuracy of a keeper and implant can be achieved, and in addition the two abovementioned places can be firmly fit together.

[0019] When connection is made in the abovementioned fashion where said acute angle end part is elastically transformed, said taper shaft can be screwed into said taper hole part and at the same time said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part can be connected to said inclining face without difficulty of said processing art. Thus both excellent prevention of screw loosening and prevention of filth intrusion can be achieved.

[0020] Therefore, according to the present invention, a dental attachment with improved connection force and firm fitting between an implant and keeper can be achieved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1

[0022] An illustration of the constitution of the dental attachment of Example 1

[0023]FIG. 2

[0024] An illustration of an early stage of connection of a keeper and an implant

[0025]FIG. 3

[0026] An illustration of the moment of connection between an acute angle pointed end and an inclining end face when a keeper is connected with an implant.

[0027]FIG. 4

[0028] An illustration of the condition where a keeper has been connected to an implant in Example 1.

[0029]FIG. 5

[0030] An illustration of the constitution of the dental attachment of Example 2

[0031]FIG. 6

[0032] An illustration of the constitution of the dental attachment of the prior art example

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0033]1 . . . dental attachment

[0034]10 . . . implant

[0035]13 . . . screw hole part

[0036]15 . . . taper hole part

[0037]17 . . . inclining end face

[0038]3 . . . keeper

[0039]30 . . . main body

[0040]31 . . . attracted face

[0041]33 . . . screw part

[0042]35 . . . taper shaft

[0043]37 . . . projecting ring part

[0044]375 . . . acute angle pointed end

[0045]5 . . . magnetic assembly

[0046]51 . . . attractive face

THE PREFERRRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

[0047] In this invention, it is preferred that at least said taper shaft and the inner face of said acute angle pointed end of said keeper, and said taper hole part and said inclining end face of said implant be surface-treated to enhance resistance to wear.

[0048] (claim 2)

[0049] In this case, the length of wear of the dental attachment as a whole can be improved by the improvement of the resistance to wear of the connecting parts of said keeper and said implant.

[0050] In this case, a variety of usual surface treatments can be carried out to improve the resistance to wear, for example, coating of TiN, diamond, N, Cr, ceramics, nitrogen treatment, chrome treatment, etc.

[0051] It is preferred that a similar surface treatment is given to the attracted face of said keeper and the attractive face of said magnetic assembly. Thereby resistance to wear during fixing or removal of the denture can be improved.

[0052] It is also preferred that the outer face of said projecting ring part is like a cylinder that has no change of diameter. (claim 3) In this case, the outer face of said keeper is straight and giving no awkward feeling during use.

[0053] Said keeper is fixed on the implant (on the side towards the magnetic assembly), and makes a magnetic circuit with the magnetic assembly thus fixing a denture to an implant. The material of this keeper may be one of various anti-corrosive dental magnetic materials that have been used as keepers of dental magnetic attachments. In particular, it is preferred that magnetic materials be used which have greater than 1.3 T of saturation magnetic flux density and magnetic permeability greater than 3000. Such magnetic materials are iron-chrome-molybdenum alloy, and soft-magnetic stainless steel, such as 19Cr—2Mo—0.2Ti steel, 17Cr—2Mo—0.2Ti steel, etc.

[0054] Said magnetic assembly makes a magnetic circuit with a keeper and fixes a denture to an implant. This magnetic assembly comprises a magnet, and various magnets that have been used for dental magnetic attachments can be used. It is particularly desirable to use a magnet that has a high energy capacity. A magnetic material that has more than 2388 kJ/m energy capacity is desirable for practical use. Such magnetic materials are Nd—Fe—B type or Sm—Co type rare-earth magnets, etc.

EXAMPLE 1

[0055] The dental attachment 1 of this invention, as is shown in FIG. 1, comprises an implant 10 embedded in a jawbone, a keeper 3 supported by said implant 10, and a magnetic assembly 5 which has a contact face 51 to attract a attracted face 31 of said keeper 3 by magnetic attractive force.

[0056] Said keeper 3 has a main body 30 that has attracted surface 31, screw part 33 that is located at the center of the back face opposite the attracted surface 31 of said main body 30, conic taper shaft 35 at the base end of said screw part 33, and projecting ring part 37 which projects toward the shaft to make a ring-shaped groove 36 with said taper shaft 35 at the circumference of said back part.

[0057] Said projecting ring 37 has a slanted inner face 371 that tapers toward a pointed end and an acute angle pointed end 375 that actually looks like an acute angle-shape at the pointed part that intersects the circumferential face 372.

[0058] Said implant 10 has a screw hole part 13 into which said screw part 33 of said keeper 3 can be screwed, a conic taper hole part 15 which is extends upward from the open side of said screw hole part 13 and has approximately the same incline angle of said taper shaft 35, and inclining end face 17 which slants upwards to the circumference of the opening of the tip of the implant

[0059] And in the case that said keeper 3 and said implant 10 are screwed together with said screw part 33 inserted in said screw hole part 13, said taper shaft 35 and said taper hole part 15 are closely fitted together, and inner face of said acute angle pointed end 375 and said inclining end face 17 touch each other and at least said acute angle pointed end 375 of said projecting ring part 37 is elastically transformed in the radial direction

[0060] More detail is given as follows.

[0061] Said implant 10 is, as is shown in FIG. 1, and has a screw bulge on the side (the diagram is omitted). And at the top end, said screw hole part 13 and taper hole part 15 are open.

[0062] In this example, the inclining angle al toward the shaft in said taper hole part 15 is 8 degrees. The inclining angle α2 of inclining end face 17 in the open part toward the shaft is 48 degrees.

[0063] The implant 10 of this example is made of Ti.

[0064] Said keeper 3, as shown in FIG. 1, has an attracted face 31 of the main body 30 that has a convex dome shape whose radius of curvature is 8 mm. At the center of the attracted face 31, there is a hole to insert tool 318 (the diagram is omitted) which is used when a keeper 3 is screwed into the implant.

[0065] At the back face of the main body 30, a taper shaft 35 is connected with a screw part 33 and said projecting ring part 37 is made to form a rounded groove 36 with taper shaft 35

[0066] In this example, the angle γ to the shaft of inner face 371 of projecting ring part 37 is 42 degrees and the outer face 372 is made straight like a cylinder that has no change of diameter.

[0067] The part between said inner face 371 and outer face 372 of said projecting ring part 37 is said acute angle pointed end 375 whose angle is 48 degrees. The top of the acute angle pointed end 375 is chamfered to some degree enough to get durability and security.

[0068] Said keeper 3 is made of 19Cr—2Mo—0.2Ti. In this example, said taper shaft 35, the inner face of said acute angle pointed end 375 (inner face 371), and attracted face 31 are surface-treated to enhance the resistance to wear. A coat of TiN is given by ion plating.

[0069] Said magnetic assembly 5, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises a magnet 55 that has N pole and S pole arranged perpendicular to the direction of tooth length, a first yoke 52 that has a concave part 59 into which said magnet 55 is inserted, a second yoke 53 that is placed over the open part of said first yoke and seals said magnet 55 and is opposite to a keeper 3, and a non-magnetic part 54 that is between said first yoke 52 and second yoke 53.

[0070] Said magnetic assembly 5 has a attractive face 51 which is formed by said first yoke 52, second yoke 53, and non-magnetic part 54 and which has a concave domed surface to fit attracted face 31 of said keeper 3. The radius of curvature of concave domed surface of this example is 8 mm.

[0071] Also, the attractive face 51 of said magnetic assembly 5 is surface-treated by TiN coat to enhance the resistance to wear.

[0072] The magnetic assembly 5 is made of Nd type rare earth magnet. The first yoke 52 and the second yoke 53 are made of 19Cr—2Mo—0.2Ti magnetic stainless steel.

[0073] In the case that dental attachment 1 with said structure is used, first, said implant 10 is embedded in the jawbone (the diagram is omitted). Next, said keeper is screwed to the implant.

[0074] In this example, the dimensions of said keeper 3 and implant are formed for the following actions.

[0075] That is, as is shown in FIG. 2, by screwing the screw part 33 of the keeper 3 into the screw hole 13 of the implant 10, the taper shaft 35 and the acute angle pointed end 375 of the keeper 3 approach the taper hole 15 and inclining end face 17.

[0076] And, as s shown in FIG. 3, in the case that there is some space between taper shaft 35 and taper hole part 15 which can be closed by tightening, acute angle pointed end 375 touches inclining end face 17. Still it is not necessary to maintain non-touched condition, if there is still some margin to be tightened between taper shaft 35 and taper hole 15.

[0077] Next, as shown in FIG. 4, as keeper 3 is screwed, the stress in the outer direction is gradually transmitted to the acute angle pointed end 375 along said inclining end face 17 and in the condition that taper shaft 35 and taper hole part 15 are screwed together firmly, said acute angle pointed end 375 is elastic transformed in the radial direction.

[0078] Thereby, the connecting force between keeper 3 and implant 10 is made by both the frictional force between taper shaft 35 and taper hole part 15 and the frictional force between said acute pointed end 375 and inclining end face 17. Especially, the frictional force between taper shaft 35 and taper hole part 15 can give a significantly stronger connection force for prevention of screw loosening.

[0079] Thereby in said connected condition, because said acute angle pointed end 375 is elastically transformed, both adequate connection between acute angle pointed end 375 of said projecting ring part 37 and inclining end face 17, and the adequate connection between said taper hole part 15 and taper shaft 35 can be achieved at the same time when screwing, and both excellent prevention of screw loosing and preventing of intrusion of filth can be achieved.

EXAMPLE 2

[0080] This example, as shown in FIG. 5, is comprised of an implant which has a little different constitution, a keeper 3, and a magnetic assembly 5.

[0081] Said implant 10, as shown in FIG. 5, is changed into a two-piece structure. Lower part 101 which has a screw hole part 13 and an upper part 102 which has taper hole part 15 and a inclining end face 17.

[0082] Also, said lower part has a hexagonal projecting part 105 on the top end and upper part 102 has a hexagonal concave part 106. By making the projecting part 105 fit to the concave part 106, the precise position of lower part 101 and upper part 102 is determined and rotation between the two pieces is stopped.

[0083] Said keeper 3 has, as is shown in FIG. 5, an attracted face 31 which is flat and has a ring-shaped control part 39 on the circumference. This control part controls the position of magnetic assembly 5.

[0084] Said magnetic assembly 5 has an attractive face which is flat.

[0085] Other structures are about the same as the dental attachment 1 of example 1. The shape and dimensions of the taper shaft 35 and acute angle pointed end 375 of the keeper, and taper hole part 15 and inclining end face 17 of implant 10 are the same as in example 1.

[0086] In the case of this example, as is in Example 1, when keeper 3 is connected to implant 10, said taper shaft 35 is fitted to said taper hole part 15 and the inner face of said acute angle pointed end 375 and said inclining end face 17 are in contact, and at least said acute angle pointed end 375 of said projecting ring part 37 is elastically transformed toward the diameter. Therefore, very excellent connection force and fitting can be achieved. 

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. The dental magnetic attachment comprising an implant embedded in jawbone, a keeper supported by said implant and a magnetic assembly that has a surface which attracts a surface of said keeper by magnetic attractive force, where said keeper has a body that has said attracted surface, screw part that is located at the center of the back face which is opposite said attracted surface of said body, conic taper shaft at the base of said screw part, and projecting ring part which projects toward the shaft to make a ring-shaped groove with said taper shaft at the outer part of said back part, and where said projecting ring part has a a slanted inner face that tapers toward a pointed end, and an acute angle pointed end that actually looks like an acute angle shape that intersects the outer face, and were said abutment for fixing has a screw hole part into which said screw part of said keeper is screwed, a conic taper hole part which extends upward from the open side of said screw hole part and has approximately the same incline angle of said taper shaft, and an inclining end face which slants upwards to the circumference of the opening of the tip of the implant, and where when said keeper and said implant are connected by said screw part being screwed into said screw hole part, said taper shaft and said taper hole part are connected closely, and said inner face of said acute angle pointed end and said inclining end face are touching, and at least said acute angle pointed end of said projecting ring part is elastically transformed radially.
 2. The dental attachment as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least said taper shaft and said acute angle pointed end of said keeper, and said taper hole part and said inclining end face of said implant are surface-treated to enhance resistance to wear.
 3. The dental attachment as set forth in claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer face of said projecting ring part has a cylindrical shape that has no change of diameter. 